[Olphander]

The following is taken from chapter 1 of Huda Khattab's The Muslim Woman's Hand Book

Prayer in the Mosque

The Islamic recommendation to offer prayers in congregation in the mosque applies to men only. The Prophet (SAAS) advised women to offer their prayers at home, in the most secluded corner of the house:


"Umm Humayd Sa'idiyyah (RA) said: 'O Prophet of Allah, I desire to offer prayers under your leadership'. The Holy Prophet (SAAS) said: 'I know that, tbut your offering the prayer in a corner [of your house] is better than your offering it in a closed room, and your offering it in a closed room is better than your offering it in the courtyard of your house; and your offering it in the courtyard is better than your offering it in the neighbouring mosque, and your offering it in the neighbouring mosque is better than your offering it in the biggest mosque of the town'" (Imam Ahmad and al-Tabarani; similar Hadith in Abu Da'ud)

The Pakistani scholar Mawdudi has suggested that this recommendation of the Prophet (SAAS) is linked to menstruation - women who regularly attend the mosque may be conspicious by their absence at the time of hte month, and this may be a source of embarrassment. Privacy in prayers is better so that no-one need know what is what in that particular aspect of a woman's life (2). The Prophet (SAAS) did not prevent women from attending the mosque, but he did make it clear that prayer at home is better (3).

However, women are not banned from the mosque altoghether (despite certain cultural practices among Muslims!). If the intention is to pray and learn, then we can go. The Prophet (SAAS) told the men not to forbid the women if they wanted to go to the mosque:


"Do not prohibit the female slaves of Allah from coming tot he mosques of Allah. When a wife of one of you asks for permission to go to the mosque, she should not be refused this permission" (Bukhari, Muslim).

"Do not prevent your women from coming to the mosques, though their houses are better for them" (Abu Da'ud).

If we want to claim our right to go to the mosque, we have to observe certain rules of behaviour, in particular, there is to be no mixing with men. In mosques with a "ladies' gallery", this is easy to do. Other mosques may screen off an area for women to pray in. It's interesting to note that at the time of the Prophet (SAAS), the mosque was a simple, single-storey building; the men occupied the front rows, and the women were at the back (4).

The clothes we wear in the mosque must also be correct... The intention in coming to the mosque should be to worship and to learn, not to show off or draw attention to ourselves.

It is interesting to note that women were banned from coming to the mosque by the Khalif 'Umar (RA) and even by 'A'ishah herself (RA). 'Umar (RA) imposed this ban because society had deteriorated to such an extent that it was not befitting for women to go out to the mosque, especially at night. The women of Madinah, resenting this ban, approached 'A'ishah (RA), but she backed 'Umar up, telling them: "If the Prophet (SAAS) knew what 'Umar knows, he would not have granted you permission to go out (to the mosque)" (5).

Obviously, Muslims today are faced with a society much worse than that of 'Umar and 'A'ishah (RA)! Hence the ban on women in mosques among some Muslim communities. However, as the Nigerian scholar Abdur Rahman Doi points out, the Prophet (SAAS) did grant women permission to attend the mosque, and he suggests that this practice should be revived - subject to proper conditions of dress, etc, so that women can learn more about Islam, encourage one another, etc. (6).

...

Notes:
2. Mawdudi, Purdah and the Status of Woman in Islam, p 208
3. Doi, Women in Sharia'ah p 29
4. Mawdudi, op. cit, p 210
5. Doi, op. cit, p 29-30
6. Ibid.